The San Antonio Spurs are not shopping for a headline-grabbing splash this summer. Their offseason plan is pointing in a different direction: fortifying the frontcourt around Victor Wembanyama.
With free agency underway, the Spurs’ focus has been on adding size and versatility rather than chasing an All-Star-caliber name. Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported that San Antonio can deploy its full $15 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception on a forward, a move that would let the team improve up front without giving up future draft picks.
The group of players tied to San Antonio reflects that approach. The Spurs have been linked to Sandro Mamukelashvili, Tobias Harris, Rui Hachimura, Dean Wade, and John Collins, each bringing a different wrinkle to the mix.
That list also says plenty about what the Spurs are trying to solve. The goal appears to be taking some of the burden off Wembanyama and giving him more help in the paint.
At the 2026 NBA draft, San Antonio already addressed its center depth behind Wembanyama. This offseason, the next step seems to be finding a power forward.
The names on the board all fit that mission in their own way. Hachimura is an efficient shooter.
Collins can rebound and score from the outside. Wade offers defensive upside along with a solid three-point stroke.
Mamukelashvili, at 6-foot-9, has also drawn plenty of attention.
The Spurs won’t have a clear lane to any of them, though. Mamukelashvili could command more than $10 million, and the Los Angeles Lakers are also said to be interested. Hachimura, meanwhile, is linked to the Brooklyn Nets.
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Spurs Suddenly Find Themselves In A Frustrating Knicks Free Agency Fight
The backup-center market has become a small but meaningful subplot for San Antonio as the offseason unfolds. The Spurs are looking for more certainty behind their frontcourt rotation, and Luke Kornet is part of the conversation as the team weighs whether it needs a real upgrade or can lean on younger internal options to handle the job.
New York is in the same search, only with a little more urgency attached to it. The Knicks have a glaring hole behind Karl-Anthony Towns, and the lack of a current backup center on the roster has put them in the same lane as San Antonio, even if the Spurs have more flexibility thanks to a handful of recent draft picks who could step into the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Billy Donovan Just Sent Bulls Fans A Brutal Final Message
Billy Donovans next stop is a long way from the spotlight he occupied in Chicago. After stepping down as Bulls head coach in April, Donovan is heading to San Antonio to join Mitch Johnsons staff, marking a rare return to the assistant ranks for the first time in more than 30 years. It is a notable shift for a veteran coach who has spent most of his career running the show, and it gives the Spurs another experienced voice as they continue building around Johnson.
The move also closes the door on any lingering idea of Donovan resurfacing in Chicago after his departure. He left the Bulls following discussions with ownership and did not return, and now he is stepping into the role previously held by Sean Sweeney on Johnsons staff. For San Antonio, it is a significant addition to the bench. For Bulls fans, it is the final reminder that Donovans chapter there has ended for good. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Still Have One Roster Problem Tobias Harris Didnt Solve
Tobias Harris gave the Spurs the kind of depth and lineup flexibility they wanted when they brought him in, but his arrival did not close every hole on the roster. San Antonio still has work to do in the frontcourt, where Victor Wembanyama is locked in as the starter and the team needs a dependable backup center to help absorb the regular-season load.
Luke Kornets playoff stint made the issue harder to ignore, and the Spurs still have two open roster spots to work with as they sort through the next move. Whether they lean toward a veteran, a younger option or another route entirely, the need is clear: Wembanyama cannot be asked to carry every minute at center, and San Antonio still has to find the right big man to spell him. [Read more 🡒]